Join, Or Die
by Asharalyn
Summary: Beginning with a test, and ending in fragility, Danniel Blue's sense of reality is warped to where her ideas, and beliefs change along with it. Supposing to be virtually fearless begins to chip at her sanity. The ones in her faction become her enemies, rules are bent, and blood is shed. Right and wrong cannot always be the only paths, and someone will suffer for it.
1. Study Of The Mind

-Study Of The Mind-

The blood lust look in her eyes told me all._ A normal Erudite wouldn't look that way._ The fool Amity beside me tried to capture my attention with a snap of her fingers, but I was too zoned, too spaced out to take up notice. Her next brilliant idea was to yank mercilessly on my earring, shooting pain through my ear. My hand flew up to check the damage.

As no blood was pouring from my throbbing earlobe, I rubbed it affectionately and shot a warning glare to Liea Ann Toll, red splattered, smile creator. "What the hell, Lie?" I barked, voice dipping low. "You were staring again, Blue," I daresay, I did not follow first name orders. "It was a bit strange." Lie tapped her fingertips together, steepled, trying not to flare any sort of anger. I sighed through my nose, shoulders heaving with an invisible burden. "Lie, you're not even supposed to be here. You're supposed to converse with the Amity's, not the Dauntless'." She sighed too. It was cloudy, but we still sat beside each other in the dark gray dining hall.

Lie was sixteen, as was I. I'd been it for two weeks now, and on mandatory schedule, and for essence of ease, they had brung up twenty five sixteen year olds from the factions. Five from each. Darrlyn grinned at me from across the table. His arms were scribbled in black, and his ears poked with silver beads. Dauntless by heart and blood.

"I don't even know if I like being Amity..." Liea mumbled. I patted her shoulder gently and crossed a booted leg over the other. _Black was boring sometimes..._ My mind drawled. _Should you change?_ I had always felt a sense of pride that came with being born into Dauntless, but the thought continued to linger unwelcomely in my head.

It shattered as thick words bounced around the space in my head. Only my head. Danniel Blue. Dauntless. That was my name, and I told my table quietly to hush and let me go.

How was this different than any other type of test? I sighed, trying to hail the pounding in my chest, and laughing nervously at the black clad lady who pretended to be my guide. "Nervous?" She prodded. "No." I said with finality. She laughed back.

It wasn't different, and as I entered testing, I touched the white walls in my off blue jumpsuit. Standard issue. During the course of time, the test had changed, but the message remained the same.

_Survive the test with your wits_, the mind test spoke. _Your time starts now._


	2. The Feeling That Is Different

- The Feeling That Is Different -

I stepped lightly through the glass plated doorway, white wash walls stark against the blue of the suit. It made my bust too large, my arms spindles. I narrowed my eyes at the table in front of me. Simply enough, there lay a small block of sharp cheddar, a vial of water, and a butter knife. My internal intuition begged for me to choose the serrated knife, in order to show my undaunted manner. I did so, not knowing the path ahead. Somewhere, a ding like sound rung through the air, my ears, my mind.

"Time to continue." I told myself; spun my knife, shining in the bright light. I was feeling lucky with the plan before me, and the next sight wasn't too difficult. A large dog padded around the room, nails clicking against the tiles of the floor. Noticing my presence, he turned, growled, ears flat against his head. I paced to him, knife in one hand, the other outstretched to him. He stiffened, plopped down, and whined softly at me. I rolled my eyes and stifled a laugh between my hands, the butter knife now resting heavily in the looped pocket suspending the length of my waist.

No danger permitted at this stage. Nothing I needed to be wary, to be afraid of. Yet, fear was something I was not supposed to feel.

_"Tat?" "Yep." "What's the Chinese say?" "Air Conditioner." "No." "Yes."_

The rest of the test remained a blurry image. I protected a child, slaughtered an animal, and stood face to face now with five large bowls.

The towering chamber was brightly lit, with tall ceilings housing tall glass windows. I marveled at the beauty before a woman broke my stargaze. "Well?" She spoke with heightened formality, if I was the one to be honored. "Aren't you going to choose?" To let my blood simmer, soak, dissolve, glide, or stand still. Wasn't my choice obvious? "Go on." She nodded to the bowls, every blond hair moving with her, balanced perfectly on her head. Strange. "Go." Her tone sharper.

I took a step toward the bowls, knife already pressing into the soft flesh of my hand. Palm turned up, my heart pounded in my ears and I found myself second guessing. I had to choose. Did I even want Dauntless? Did I want the smarts, or the kindness, or the honesty? The selflessness? Or did I want the respect, the honor, the bravery? I wasn't sure, not yet, not ever. The woman grew impatient, and I felt, for once in my life, ashamed, shunned, scared. I was, as Dauntless, supposed to be the one without care, not thinking of how others expected me to be lady-like. So why, all of a sudden, was I like this _now_?

With a rapid heartbeat and my head swimming with unanswered questions, I thrust my hand, and myself, forward, and to end the test, found myself seated in the same chair I fell asleep in. The woman in black smiled, hair drawn back from her face now.

"Glad to have you back in Dauntless, Leitora Blue."

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A/N: I've been so late with this FanFiction. Sorry for two short chapters but, writers block is killing me, and I had to get this out. I really hope you all enjoy it so far!


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